Bill Haast Obituary

Bill Haast died Wednesday, he was 100. Haast remained director of Miami Serpentarium Laboratories near Punta Gorda until his death.

The original Miami Serpentarium, located south of Miami, was in operation from 1947 to 1984. Guests would pay admission to watch Haast extract venom from snakes. Haast, a pioneer in extracting large quantities of venom for research, began the practice when he was a boy.

Soon after opening the Serpentarium, Haast began injecting himself with different types of cobra venom in order to develop immunity.

Bill Haast died Wednesday, he was 100. Haast remained director of Miami Serpentarium Laboratories near Punta Gorda until his death.

The original Miami Serpentarium, located south of Miami, was in operation from 1947 to 1984. Guests would pay admission to watch Haast extract venom from snakes. Haast, a pioneer in extracting large quantities of venom for research, began the practice when he was a boy.

Soon after opening the Serpentarium, Haast began injecting himself with different types of cobra venom in order to develop immunity.

Guest Book Highlights

"I had a dream about Bill Hasst last night as I was sleeping here in Hamilton, New Zealand. I remember growing up in Miami, Fla. and as a teenager I would go hunting snakes in the Everglades and sell them to Bill. I got bit by a water mocasin in 1953..."- jim crain sr (Hamilton)

"As a child growing up in Miami, the Serpentarium was always a popular school field trip. Bill Haast was a great man who left a wonderful legacy. Thank you for your work and for providing your blood to be used as a base for anti-venom serum."

"Thanks for your studies & dedication to the snake species and wanted to share with the world your time was meant to be here on Earth to teach us to love understand and appreciate snakes and Wildlife."- Penny Mitchell (Powder springs, GA)

"I was very saddened to hear about Bill's passing. I always wanted to meet him, ever since I was a small child because of my fascination with snakes. I finally met and interviewed Bill on August 7, 2000, where he helped me with my herpetology..."- Robert Lyons (Slidell, LA)

"Dr. Haast was a wonderful human being. I hope he is in heaven today. During the 1950's I remember many TV News broadcasts following the Dr's car through traffic with a police escort on his way to inject some suffering soul with some of his own blood..."- Joseph Papierz Jr (Deerfield Beach, FL)